The Friend of My Friend is My
by Isilarma
Summary: To say that Salazar and Rowena do not get along would be the understatement of the century, but when Godric gets himself into trouble, they have no choice but to work together. Godric just hopes they don't kill each other first. Part of the Tales of the Founders series.


**The Friend of My Friend is My...**

**Isilarma**

**This is set in 978, so a few months after Godric and Salazar return from their travels. I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Written for the Wand Wood Competition (Apple), the Quidditch Position Competition (Chaser), the Gemstone Competition (Bloodstone), the Blackadder Quote Competition, the Colours Competition (Yellow, positive and negative), and the Quidditch Category Competition (Chaser). I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and am not affiliated with Bloomsbury or Scholastic Inc.**

* * *

"It is, and anyone with even a basic knowledge should understand that."

"Yes, because knowing the mechanics of brewing antidotes is such a vital skill."

"It is far more useful than some of the nonsense you seem to find important."

Godric groaned as the voices floated down the hallway. Honestly, he left them alone for five minutes and war broke out. He was sorely tempted to leave them to it, but that would probably lead to hexes being thrown, and he did not want to have to fix it. Again. Grimacing, Godric quickened his pace and pushed open the door.

The air in the room fairly crackled with tension. Rowena stood in the centre of the space, her hands on her hips and her lips white with rage. In contrast, Salazar lounged in the chair opposite. His expression was one of mild amusement, but the white-knuckled grip he had on his staff betrayed his tension. Godric rolled his eyes when neither even noticed his entrance.

"At least my reading material is not limited to Potions recipes and the Dark Arts."

"No, your expertise is in long strings of numbers that have absolutely no practical use."

"Are you trying to display your own ignorance? If so, you are succeeding."

Seeing Salazar's hand twitch towards his wand, Godric decided it was time to intervene. "All right, that is enough." The two of them turned startled expressions to him, and he folded his arms. "Would one of you mind explaining what is going on?"

"He insulted my work."

"She refuses to listen."

"Well, if you said anything worth listening to..."

Godric pinched the bridge of his nose. Not for the first time, he wondered if he had made a mistake when he introduced the pair of them. Rowena had disliked Salazar practically on sight, and it soon became clear that Salazar had no respect for her either. They had clashed continually since, and Godric was finding the conflict between his two best friends increasingly wearing.

And they were still going.

"That is beside the point," Rowena snapped. "It may be beyond your intellectual capacity, not that that is saying much, but the principles of Arithmancy will be of critical importance to future developments."

Salazar tilted his head to one side. "How peculiar."

Rowena's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Godric closed his eyes. He recognised the smirk spreading across Salazar's face.

"Your eyes are open, and your mouth is moving, but any guiding intelligence appears to have long since departed."

Godric resisted the urge to hex him. That was not going to go over well.

Sure enough, twin spots of pink appeared in Rowena's cheeks. "You think you are so clever," she hissed. "Yet all you are doing is showing just how pathetic you are." She turned to Godric. "I have had enough of this. Either teach your friend some manners, or make sure he is not present when I next visit."

Salazar's lip curled. "However shall I manage without the pleasure of your company?"

That apparently was the final straw. Rowena shot him a final loathing-filled look and Disapparated.

Godric closed his eyes and forced himself to control his temper. Every time he tried to get them to speak, it degenerated into verbal warfare. How could two intelligent people be so childish? He shook his head and opened his eyes. Salazar's arms were folded, and he was glaring so fiercely at the floor it looked like he was trying to burn a hole in it. Godric gritted his teeth.

"You said you would not antagonise her."

"I said I would try," Salazar muttered. "And she started it."

Godric raised an eyebrow. "She started it?"

"She thinks that anything she is not an expert in is not worth knowing, and she refuses to listen when I try to explain otherwise."

"Some people do not need to know how to brew an antidote for every known poison."

Salazar ignored him. "And she continues to belittle my intelligence at every opportunity."

"Correct me if I am wrong, but are you not doing exactly the same thing?" He sighed. "I know Rowena can be difficult-"

"She is a nightmare."

"But you are hardly making an effort either."

Salazar scowled at the floor, but said nothing. Godric shook his head, frustration welling up.

"What is wrong with you?" he demanded. "You hated me at first, but you were never like this."

"Because you respected my abilities, and you never treated me like an ignorant child." His expression darkened. "And you did not constantly watch me as if I were about to murder someone."

Godric winced. Rowena's family had always opposed the Dark Arts, and the revelation of Salazar's early studies had not been well received. It was that that had caused the shift from cordial dislike to full blown enmity.

"She has no experience with the Dark Arts," he pointed out. "And she is quite right to distrust them."

"Yes, but that is no excuse for her attitude towards me. Does she really think I would be travelling with you if I used those skills as some do?" He shook his head. "She is too blind to see."

"And you are too stubborn to let her," Godric snapped. "Look at today; I was out of the room for only a few minutes, yet you nearly came to blows. This cannot continue."

Salazar frowned. "And what do you expect me to do about it?"

Godric fixed him with a sharp look. "I expect you to make a bit more of an effort. Do not antagonise her, do not belittle her research, and do not mock her opinions." He sighed, anger fading. "I do not expect you to be friends, but you need to be able to get along."

Salazar studied him for a long moment. "This really is important to you, isn't it?"

Godric blinked. "Of course it is. Do you think I like seeing my best friends constantly at odds? I refuse to lose either of you, so you are going to find some way of being in the same room without trying to kill each other."

Salazar continued to study him, but did not reply. Godric waited patiently; years together had taught him the futility of trying to get Salazar to rush. Eventually, he gave a slow nod.

"I suppose if it is necessary, I can try."

It was not quite as enthusiastic as he had hoped, but it was more than he had expected. "Thank you."

Salazar scowled. "But the same applies to her. If she mocks me-"

"I will speak to her," Godric promised. He would have to; they were as bad as each other. "I do appreciate this."

Salazar shrugged and retrieved a book from the shelf. "I hardly enjoy being constantly insulted. If she can be civil, so will I."

Godric nodded; he knew he could not expect anything more. Now all that remained was to convince Rowena.

So an hour later he found himself standing outside her home, frantically trying to decide what to say. He had come to terms with her decision, and they had mended their friendship, but he still felt wary about confronting her.

"Godric?"

Godric closed his eyes for a moment. Just the person to make this whole day better. He forced a smile to his face and turned round.

"Robert."

Rowena's husband was coming from the stables. He looked tired but he gave Godric a warm smile. "Is everything all right?"

"Fine." He tried to keep the curtness from his voice; Robert was a good man, despite knowing Godric's history, he was never anything less than polite. "I was hoping to speak with Rowena."

Robert eyed him. "Would this have anything to do with the fact that she stormed back here early, ranted at me for half an hour, and then barricaded herself in the library?"

Godric winced. "There may have been a slight altercation."

"I assumed as much." He paused, his expression turning serious. "Godric, this is getting out of hand."

"You do not have to tell me that," Godric muttered.

"I mean it. Salazar is a good man, but if he continues to provoke her-"

"The blame does not all belong to him," Godric snapped. He sighed when Robert raised an eyebrow. "Sorry."

Robert shook his head. "I know, and I did not mean it like that. The pair of them are as stubborn as each other."

"That would be putting it mildly." He rubbed his eyes. "I have managed to get Salazar's word that he will not deliberately bait her, but he said nothing about retaliation."

"It is a start," said Robert. "But Ro will do the same, if only to prove herself the better person."

Godric smirked at him. "That is what I was counting on."

"Then I will leave you to it. I believe she is still in the library."

"Of course she is."

Robert laughed. "Good luck." He disappeared up along another passage. Godric watched him go and sighed. Why did she have to marry someone nice? At least if they had been horrible he could have challenged him to a duel without feeling guilty. He shook his head and started for the library. That train of thought would not do any good. A minute later he arrived outside the library and knocked.

"Rowena?" He had been wary of entering uninvited ever since an incident from their childhood involving a puppy and several flying books. This time though, there was no reply, so he pushed the door open.

The size of the place never failed to impress him. Robert's collection had been substantial even before Rowena moved hers here, and it was now probably one of the largest in the country. Unfortunately, that was not conducive to finding someone quickly. Godric sighed and set off down the aisles.

It was a few minutes before Godric found her, and he was not at all surprised to find her totally engrossed in a thick book. Godric paused at the end of the aisle, a smile tugging at his lips. She was beautiful. He gave himself a mental shake and cleared his throat.

"Rowena?"

She started and looked up. "Godric." Something he did not want to analyse flickered in her eyes, but it was almost immediately replaced by concern. "Is everything all right?"

Godric nodded. "I just wanted to ask you about this morning."

Her fingers tightened on the book. "What is there to discuss? Salazar was as insufferable as ever, and I have had enough of it."

"He said you were mocking him."

"I was trying to explain the basics of Arithmancy, but he was too interested in his ridiculous potions to listen. And then he had the gall to suggest I could learn a thing of two from him."

Godric frowned. "But isn't that precisely what you were trying to do with Arithmancy?"

"It is completely different," Rowena snapped. "He wasn't trying to teach, he was being deliberately insulting."

Godric rubbed his eyes. "Ro, have you considered that he may have thought you were being deliberately condescending?" She frowned and he continued. "Despite what you may think, he is not stupid. Believe me, I know."

She folded her arms. "There was still no need for his response."

"I agree, and I have spoken to him about it." He sighed. "Ro, you know this cannot continue."

Rowena frowned at him. "It is not like we enjoy it," she said sharply. "I would be quite happy to be civil, if he could just do the same."

"Good, because he will," said Godric bluntly.

"What?"

"He has promised to refrain from deliberately provoking you, provided you do the same."

"He is the one who starts it."

"Really? It does not matter now. I know it will not be easy, but can you at least try to get along?"

Rowena held his gaze for a long moment before nodding. "Very well."

Godric finally allowed himself to relax a little. "Thank you."

She nodded, but she still looked thoughtful. "May I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Why do you care about him so much? You only met him a few years ago, yet now you are practically inseparable."

Godric shrugged. "We went through a lot, and he is my friend. Of course I care about him. Just as I do for you." Though not in precisely the same way.

Rowena did not look convinced, but she nodded. "In that case, I will try."

Godric grinned. "Excellent."

Her expression turned wary. "What are you planning, Godric?"

He let the grin widen. "Nothing. Just a way to put this new agreement into practice."

* * *

"I cannot believe I agreed to this."

Godric was careful to keep the smile off his face. "You said you wanted to visit this settlement."

Salazar glared at him. "Not with her!"

"It will not be so bad," Godric insisted. "You may even find it interesting." Salazar's expression clearly betrayed his scepticism and he sighed. "Look, Rowena knows more about the Atlanteans than practically anyone else. She can tell you far more about this place than I could."

"So she will be trying to make me look foolish again."

"Salazar..." He paused and took a deep breath. "She has promised not to do so on purpose. In return, I trust you will remember your own promise."

"Of course I will," Salazar snapped. "If she behaves, I have no reason not to."

Godric studied him. He did not look happy, but Godric knew he would keep his word. Now he could only hope that Rowena was careful. While he doubted she would do anything deliberately, she could be rather blunt, and Salazar took offense very easily. It was not a good combination.

They only had to wait a few more minutes before a soft crack announced Rowena's arrival. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of them, but she nodded politely.

"Godric. Salazar."

"Good morning, Ro," said Godric cheerfully. Salazar just gave a curt nod, but Godric really hadn't been expecting anything else. "How are you this morning?"

"As well as can be expected."

Anyone else would have been perturbed by the frosty atmosphere, but Godric had never been one to let such things get to him. They were going to learn to get along if it took him all year.

"Well then, shall we get started?"

Rowena nodded. "I suppose so." Her face rather lacked enthusiasm as she turned to Salazar. "Do you know much of Atlantean history?"

Salazar stiffened slightly, but he kept his tone cordial. "I have read of the fall of Atlantis, and the arrival of the exiles. Beyond that, my knowledge is somewhat limited."

"I see. Well, in that case, this settlement may prove interesting." She shot a wry glance at Godric. "And not just for the arena."

Godric grinned at the memory. "How was I to know that the tunnels came out there?"

"Maybe because we had just told you."

"A minor detail." He caught Salazar's questioning look and shook his head. "I will tell you about it later."

Rowena rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you will. For now though, why don't we focus on the history?"

"That might be best," Godric agreed. He glanced at Salazar. "You are familiar with Runes, aren't you?"

"You will have to be more specific," said Salazar dryly. "Elder Futhark, Younger Futhark, Anglo-Frisian..."

Rowena's eyebrows shot up. "You know all of those?"

Salazar nodded. "Runes have long been an interest of mine."

"Indeed." They studied each other for a long moment before Rowena gave a sight nod. "In that case, you might get more out of this than I thought."

There was a hint of wariness in Salazar's eyes, but he followed her without hesitation.

Godric watched with interest, but inside he felt like crowing. Finally, some common ground. Maybe they could come to do more than just tolerate each other after all.

Over the next half hour, Godric's hopes increased. There was still considerable tension, but they had managed to carry a conversation without snapping, and that was an achievement in itself. Godric kept an eye on them, but Runes had never particularly interested him, and he soon found his attention wandering.

Of course, that was when things started to go downhill.

Godric was just considering leaving them to it when he heard Rowena's voice.

"It does baffle me how you can understand them perfectly, and yet not even consider their uses in Arithmancy."

Godric glanced round in time to see Salazar shrug. "My studies were concentrated in other areas."

"I see."

Salazar's eyes narrowed. "Warding," he said shortly.

Rowena was not quite able to hide her surprise. "Truly? I thought..." She left her sentence unfinished, but her meaning was all too clear.

"That I had used them in the Dark Arts?" Salazar suggested. "Of course you did."

"Well, can you blame me?" Rowena shot back. "You yourself admitted that you studied them for a number of years."

"My studies were not limited to the Dark Arts, something that would be obvious if you stopped making assumptions."

Godric began to make his way over, but Rowena had already drawn herself up. "Assumptions? It was a perfectly logical progression based on the facts."

"You are not being logical, you are refusing to see what is right in front of you."

"Salazar," Godric snapped, but Rowena interrupted.

"I see someone who willingly embraced the Dark Arts. How exactly am I mistaken?"

"Ro-"

"There you are again! You have no idea what my studies were like."

"I know enough," Rowena snapped. "And that is enough to tell me about the sort of person who would choose to undertake them."

Godric felt a flicker of anger at that, but it was nothing to the rage that appeared on Salazar's face. "You know nothing of my life," he spat. "You speak of things you do not have a hope of understanding."

"I understand that you studied magic that has no other purpose than to cause harm," Rowena snapped. "And that to do so was you own choice."

Salazar gave a bitter laugh. "And what would you know about choice? You have everything; when have you ever needed to make a decision like that? When have you ever experienced hardship and been forced to live with the consequences?"

"Enough, Salazar," Godric growled.

Salazar did not even seem to hear him. "You are pathetic," he hissed. "You judge others without even trying to understand their position."

Rowena's face was white with rage. "How dare you? You say I judge, and yet you immediately jump to conclusions yourself. You are not the only person to have struggled. But what can be expected from an arrogant, self-centred-"

"Shut up!"

Both Salazar and Rowena stared at him, but Godric was too incensed to care. "What is wrong with you?"

"He-"

"But-"

"I do not want to hear it. Rowena, you have known him for less than three months. You cannot judge him when you have never experienced the things he has." Rowena flushed, but Salazar's smirk was wiped from his face when Godric rounded on him. "And you... Your past does not give you the right to speak to her as you do."

Godric paused to catch his breath. Both were refusing to look at him; Rowena's lips were pressed tightly together and Salazar was staring fixedly at his boots. He shook his head, anger giving way to disgust.

"What is the matter with both of you? You promised you would try to get along." Salazar opened his mouth and he held up a hand. "No. Clearly that is beyond the abilities of two so-called genii." He was suddenly sick of the pair of them and turned away.

"Where are you going?" Rowena called.

Godric kept walking. "I need a break. Try not to kill each other before I get back."

Godric didn't have a particular destination in mind. All he knew was that if he stayed, someone was going to get hexed. He stormed through the woods, for once not caring about the tracks he was leaving. There were no dangers here, though in truth he would welcome some. A fight would have given him the chance to relieve some frustration. Godric scowled and threw himself down at the foot of a tree. Why did they have to be so stubborn?

The entire situation was becoming intolerable. Even when they weren't trying to antagonise each other, they were both so quick to take offense that civil interaction seemed impossible. Godric simply did not understand it. Maybe it would be better if he just kept them apart after all.

Godric discarded that idea almost immediately though. He had no intention of losing either of them, especially since that, if they could get past that block, they would see that they had a lot in common. Godric grimaced. Maybe that was part of the problem; they had never had to deal with someone who was so similar to them. But that was no excuse for the way they had been acting. They were both acting like children, and Godric was thoroughly sick of it. One way or another, they would learn to get along.

Godric sighed and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. His anger was already fading; he had never been one to hold a grudge, especially when it involved his friends. Rowena and Salazar would work it out eventually, if only to stop him going on about it. The thought brought a smile to his face and he pushed himself to his feet. Time to go and talk some sense into them.

He managed two steps before a low hiss stopped him in his tracks. Slowly, Godric looked around.

Just behind him was a vivid green snake. Godric swallowed. He did not particularly fear the creatures, but he certainly had a healthy respect for them. Salazar had seen to that. He took a careful step back, but froze when the snake hissed again and slithered closer. Godric remained still and forced himself to stay calm, but his mind was racing. He hadn't provoked it, hadn't even been near it, then why was it still attacking?

His question was answered a moment later when a second snake emerged from a burrow. A burrow that was less than a foot from where he had been sitting. Animals were never more dangerous than when protecting their young. Godric's hand inched towards his wand.

He never even had the chance to draw it. Distracted by the second, Godric never noticed the first one approaching until it was too late. There was a sudden blur of green, and then Godric felt a stabbing pain just above his boot.

"Damn."

A Banishing Charm sent both snakes flying back, but Godric didn't have a chance to take pride in his accomplishment. His vision blurred, and he had to bite back a sudden surge of nausea.

Poison. Wonderful.

Godric closed his eyes. Salazar was good with poisons. He tried to move forwards, but that plan was disrupted when the world gave an abrupt lurch to the side. Godric lost his footing and fell to the floor with a crash. His last though before darkness overtook him was that Rowena and Salazar really were going to kill each other.

* * *

Salazar watched Godric stalk away with rising dismay. In truth, he had completely forgotten his friend's presence. Now though he felt a sudden surge of guilt; the disappointment in Godric's eyes had hurt more than he thought possible.

Salazar scowled and shook his head. Damn Godric for making him care about his good opinion. He turned away, and caught sight of Rowena. The witch was still staring after Godric, and she looked so lost that Salazar felt a twinge of sympathy. He squashed it just as quickly; it was her fault they were in this mess anyway.

"Well, that went well."

Rowena glared at him. "And whose fault was that?"

"You were the one who caught aspersions on my character."

"You directly insulted me."

"Insults which you soon returned."

"I would not have had to had you not begun it."

Salazar opened his mouth then closed it again as the absurdity of what they were saying struck him. "He was right." Rowena frowned and he gave a wry smile. "We do sound like children."

Rowena blinked, but after a moment she gave a rueful nod. "Little wonder he got so frustrated." She straightened her shoulders. "I suppose we can both be blamed for that."

It wasn't an apology, but considering he had no intention of apologising either... "Agreed."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

Salazar shrugged. "Neither of us really tried to keep the peace today."

"We were managing quite well," said Rowena slowly. "Until I mentioned the Dark Arts." She looked rather chagrined, but Salazar shook his head.

"Which I over-reacted to." He rubbed his eyes. "Studying them does not mean I enjoy them, you know." He shivered as the memory of some of his lessons came rushing back. "I hated it."

"Then why did you choose to do so?"

Salazar glanced at her, but there was genuine curiosity in her eyes. He offered a tired smile. "It seemed like a good idea at the time." His leg throbbed at the thought, and he had to bite back a hiss.

"Are you all right?"

He nodded. "I shall be fine."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "That does not answer the question of whether you are all right now."

Salazar raised an eyebrow. "Really Rowena, anyone would think you were concerned about me."

Rowena glared at him. "Despite what you may think, I am not completely heartless."

Salazar studied her for a long moment. "No, I suppose you are not," he said quietly.

There was an uncomfortable silence for several minutes. Salazar shuffled uneasily from foot to foot; he had lost all desire to see the rest of the ruins, but he was unwilling to leave things as they were. From the frequent glances Rowena was shooting at the woods, she felt the same way. Eventually, he had had enough.

"Shall we go and look for him?"

Rowena started at the question, but nodded straight away. "Before he gets himself into trouble."

"He can handle himself." Although considering it was Godric they were talking about... "Let's go."

It was not difficult to follow Godric's tracks. The two of them walked in silence, each unwilling to start another argument. After a few minutes though, Salazar's ears caught a faint whisper and he slowed to listen. Rowena glanced back and frowned.

"What are you doing?"

"Quiet." He strained his ears. Yes, there was something...

"I don't hear anything."

He ignored that, concentrating instead on the whispers. They were slightly clearer now.

"Food... young..."

"Snakes," he breathed. "Just ahead."

Rowena's face drained of colour. "What?"

"There is nothing wrong with snakes."

Rowena shuddered. "I have to disagree. Where are they?"

"Just ahead of us." He froze as he realised what he had just said. Rowena turned wide eyes to him.

"You mean in the direction the trail leads?"

Salazar muttered a curse under his breath. "Stay here. I will see what is happening."

Rowena stared at him. "You cannot go by yourself."

"I will be fine. I need to see if Godric is there." He had to fight to control his anxiety; Godric was a fearsome warrior, but he had a terrible habit of underestimating the danger posed by magical creatures. "I will return shortly."

Rowena was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath. "I am coming too."

Salazar blinked. "You do not have to. I do not know how many there will be."

"He is my friend too. I will not leave him."

Salazar stared at her. That was the last thing he had ever expected her to say. "Are you sure?"

Her face was ashen, but she met his gaze steadily. "Yes."

It appeared he had underestimated her. It was not a feeling he appreciated. Salazar pushed the thought away, there would be time to analyse that later, and drew his wand.

"Stay behind me."

He was mildly surprised when she did not argue, but there was not time to waste. Salazar took a deep breath and headed in the direction of the whispers.

Now the silence was different. Salazar was straining for the snakes, and Rowena had enough sense not to interrupt. It was the easiest things had been between them in months.

"...intruder dealt with..."

Salazar increased his pace, praying that the intruder was not who he thought it was. He heard Rowena demand an explanation, but there was no time. He darted around a tree, and froze.

Godric was lying on his side in the middle of a small clearing. His face was flushed, and even from distance, Salazar could see that he was trembling. The cause was all too clear; a poisonous green snake was stretched across Godric's outstretched arm, and another was situated between him and Godric. Both rose up at his approach, and Salazar did not need Parseltongue to understand their anger.

"What do you think you are - Godric!"

Salazar flung out an arm to stop Rowena from rushing from their friend's side. "Do not move," he hissed. "Do you want to get bitten too?"

Rowena froze, her eyes fixed on the snakes. "Salazar, those are Forest Vipers."

"Venomous?"

"Very."

Salazar cursed. "Wonderful." He took a deep breath. "Stay here."

"But-"

"Trust me."

He could see the struggle on her face, but eventually she nodded. "Be careful."

Salazar stared at her for a moment, taken aback by the concern, but Godric's plight soon pushed it from his mind. His options were limited; he could use magic, but he could not risk Godric getting bitten again. It looked like it would have to be negotiation. He took a slow step forwards.

"Greetings," he hissed. He heard Rowena gasp, and winced at the explanation that would have to come, but there was no help for it. The larger of the two snakes jerked back, its dark eyes locked on his.

"You speak?"

"Yes."

The snake slithered closer. "We have never met a speaker before."

"It is a rare gift. I am here for my friend."

The hisses turned angry. "He is ours. He threatened our young."

Salazar looked back. Just past Godric, he could see a small burrow, and a tiny green head looking at him. Salazar scowled; he doubted Godric had done anything on purpose, but convincing the snakes of that... Carefully he went down on one knee so that he was at the snake's eye level.

"He did not mean any harm," he hissed. "He does not hunt younglings."

"He was here."

"Did he actually do anything?" The snake's tail flicked but it did not reply, and Godric felt a surge of hope. "It was not his intention to harm you." He heard Godric give a low moan and his chest tightened. "Please let me take him."

The snake regarded him. "He is important to you."

"I owe him my life. And he is my friend." He allowed a trace of desperation to leak into his voice. "I swear, he will never disturb you again. Just let me help him."

For a long, agonising moment, the snake did not move. Then just as Salazar was about to abandon negotiations and reach for his wand, it dipped its head.

"He is yours."

Salazar let out a long breath. "Thank you."

The snake looked at him then at Godric. "He may not survive."

"I can help him."

The snake tilted its head to one side. "You are an unusual human." It backed away, the other joining it. "We would welcome another chance to speak with you."

"I will return," Salazar promised. Of course if Godric did not survive, they would not enjoy his next visit so much.

The snakes held his gaze for a moment longer, than disappeared back into the burrow.

Barely had they gone than Salazar was at Godric's side. He let out a curse; Godric's skin was flushed and sweaty, and Salazar was alarmed to discover that he was burning up. A moment later, Rowena joined him.

"How is he?"

Salazar shook his head. "Not good. I might be able to alleviate the symptoms, but I cannot develop an antidote without more information." He glanced at her sharply. "Is there an antidote?"

Her face was ashen. "Not that I know of. They're so rare that no one ever found one."

"Damn." This could not happen. "Is there anything that is known to help?"

"Generic treatments have some effect, but nothing has ever been able to completely cure it," she said. The tremor in her voice was clearly audible.

Salazar ran a hand through his hair and tried to think, but the sound of Godric's breathing becoming steadily more ragged was not helping. "I don't know. There are some antidotes that might help, but without knowing the later symptoms I cannot tell if they will cause an adverse reaction later on."

Rowena drew in a breath. "You need to know the progression of the disease?"

"Yes. If I know how it takes effect, I may be able to put something together, but we cannot afford to wait much longer."

"I know how it works."

Salazar stared at her. "What?"

"I read the accounts of people who have bitten. They described the symptoms in some detail."

Hope rushed through him. "Can you remember them?"

She looked mildly affronted. "Of course."

"Good. Make him as comfortable as you can. I will return in a moment."

Without giving her a chance to argue, he Disapparated. He had no intention of watching another friend die.

* * *

Salazar's abrupt instructions took Rowena completely by surprise, but he was gone before she could even her mouth to question him. His departure startled her, and her first reaction was one of fury that he could abandon them. Then she recalled how he had walked up to a pair of poisonous snakes to bargain for Godric's life, and the fury died. She might not like Salazar, but it was becoming clear that he genuinely did care for Godric. Rowena did not know what he was doing, but she had to trust that it would help.

In the meantime, she could help Godric. Or try to. Healing was not one of her stronger areas, but this was Godric. She had to try. At that moment, he let out a low moan.

"Godric."

His eyes flickered open. "R-Ro?"

"Shh, don't try to speak. Salazar has gone to get help."

"Good..."

Rowena took his hand. "Please stay awake."

"Tired."

"I know, but you can rest later. Please do not go." Her voice cracked, and she suddenly found herself blinking back tears. "You promised you would not leave again."

Godric's green eyes locked on hers, but his words were interrupted by the reappearance of Salazar. He was carrying a large satchel, and immediately dropped to the floor to check on Godric.

"You are an idiot," he said conversationally. "What possessed you to trample over a snake nest?"

Rowena frowned at him, but the reprimand died at the genuine concern in his eyes. Godric's lips twitched slightly.

"Didn't see it. Too busy being annoyed."

"Like I said. You are an idiot."

Godric tried to glare at him, but his body suddenly jerked and he let out a strangled cry. All traces of levity immediately disappeared from Salazar's face.

"Rowena, what is happening?"

The words she had read so long ago came flooding back. "Dizziness and nausea are rapidly followed by fever and delirium. Seizures tend to follow as the venom makes its way through the body.

"Aconite and knotgrass to deal with the fever, pomegranate juice to help with the nausea. Is there any heart failure involved?"

"Yes, usually the final cause of death."

"Not knotgrass then. Maybe..." Even as he spoke he was pulling ingredients out of his bag. He handed her a vial. "Give him this. It should alleviate some of the symptoms." He sounded completely calm, but Rowena could see his hands trembling. She took it, and began the tricky task of getting Godric to drink it. He was completely unresponsive now, and he was shaking so much that it was a struggle not to spill anything.

"Godric, please drink this."

To her astonishment, he did slow his movements, and she did not waste the opportunity. Almost immediately, his shudders subsided, and he began to breathe easier.

"I think it is helping."

"Good. I've nearly finished this."

Rowena looked over at him. He had set up a tiny cauldron and she would have thought he was chucking in ingredients at random, but fo the concentration in his eyes.

"I need to prevent it from worsening without interfering with the effects of the antidote. The trouble is, I am not sure how to reduce the risk of heart failure without causing the seizures to start again."

"Would dittany work?"

"Not unless I added boomslang skin, and that would not do his fever any good." He paused slightly. "Although poppy could help with that."

Rowena stared at him. "Do you do this often?"

"More often than I would like." He added a few more ingredients. Rowena watched, enthralled despite herself. She had enjoyed learning the theory of brewing, but she had never been interested in the practical aspects. This was a novel experience.

After a minute, Salazar sat back and took a deep breath. "All right." He scooped some into a vial and handed it to her. "Can you give him that? I cannot move at present."

He was very pale. Rowena nodded and turned to Godric. "Here, you need to drink this."

It took some coaxing, but eventually she managed to get him to swallow it. He let out a sigh, but his eyes remained closed. Rowena watched, heart pounding. She could not lose him now. Not after only just getting him back. Tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them back. That would not do any good. She sniffed and turned back, only to find Salazar watching her intently.

"What is it?"

Salazar shook his head. "I normally have to trick him into drinking anything. He is too stubborn."

Rowena managed a small smile. "I know. Whenever he got himself hurt when we were young, I would be the one who had to look after him." She grimaced. "That was my punishment for not keeping him out of trouble."

Salazar snorted. "That is hardly fair. It is impossible to keep Godric out of trouble."

For the first time, their eyes met in complete mutual understanding, but Rowena's smile faded when she looked back at Godric. "Will he be all right?"

Salazar sighed. "I do not know," he admitted. "The potion should work, but I may have missed something. I wish I had a sample of the venom, but that would have taken more time than we had."

"You did all you could," Rowena said quietly. "Which was a good sight more than anyone else could have done."

Surprise was clearly visible in Salazar's eyes. "Thank you. I just hope it was enough." He looked like he was about to say more, but broke off and gripped his leg.

"Are you all right?"

He nodded. "Fine."

Rowena raised an eyebrow. "Do you not have any Pain-Relievers in that bag?"

Salazar nodded, but his eyes narrowed. "That is the second time you have expressed concern."

"You do not have to sound quite so surprised," she muttered.

"Well, considering you thought I was an arrogant, self-centred Dark Arts fanatic earlier..."

"You were just as insulting," she snapped. All sympathy was rapidly disappearing.

Salazar scowled at her. "Why exactly do you hate me so much?" he demanded.

Rowena blinked at him. "I am sorry?"

"As far as I can recall, I have done nothing, yet you continue to treat me with contempt."

"Nothing? You are the one who was too arrogant to talk to me properly."

"Are you really one to talk about arrogance?"

"Godric trusts me, why can't you?"

"Godric trusts too easily," Rowena snapped.

Salazar stared at him. "You think I would hurt him? He's saved my life more times than I can remember. I would never do anything to him."

Rowena blinked. The anger and hurt in his voice had been completely genuine, and she felt a twinge of doubt. Salazar's silver eyes flashed.

"Besides, why would I need to hurt him when you succeed perfectly well at that on your own?"

Rowena felt like she had been struck. "How dare you?" she hissed. "I had no choice."

Salazar's lip curled. "Of course not."

"I would never deliberately hurt him," Rowena cried. "All I have ever wanted is for him to be safe."

"Then considering I have saved his life as many times as he has saved mine, what exactly is the problem?"

"But why? Why would you do that for someone who is the antithesis of you?"

Salazar just looked at her. "Because he is my friend. Because he trusted me enough to give me a second chance." His eyes hardened. "I have not, and will never, betray that trust."

Rowena was good at spotting liars. She could tell when someone was trying to deceive her. Salazar was not lying. But Dark wizards were liars, tricksters, who would never do anything for anyone unless there was something in it for themselves. Yet Salazar was not lying, and had saved Godric, and had been truly terrified of losing him. As if reading her mind, Salazar sighed.

"I know I have made mistakes," he said quietly. "But I am trying to atone for them. Godric chose to help me, and I will forever owe him for that. You need not fear for him regarding me."

He still was not lying. Very slowly, Rowena nodded. "I believe you."

Salazar blinked. "You do?"

"...Yes." She took a deep breath. "Forgive me. Godric is very dear to me."

Salazar's expression softened ever so slightly. "And to me, though not probably no in quite the same way."

Rowena shot him a sharp glance, but there was no malice in his eyes, and she gave a small smile. "So I see."

His smile faded slightly. "You still love him, don't you?"

Rowena looked away. "Does it matter? It cannot happen."

"That does not make it any less important." There was a slight pause, then he added quietly, "I will not say anything to him."

Somehow, she knew he would keep that promise. "Always," she whispered.

Salazar gave a long sigh. "Then I am sorry too."

Rowena swallowed and cleared her throat. "I never meant to hurt him."

"I know, and I think he does too."

"I hope so." She sighed and turned back to him. "I am sorry."

He shook his head. "Do not be. You were trying to protect him."

"So were you. I still should not have acted as I did." But there was more to it than that. "I think I was scared of losing him."

Salazar frowned at her. "What are you talking about?"

Rowena bit her lip, but she had kept all this inside too long already. "It was because of me that he left," she whispered. "I did not hear from him for two years. Then he suddenly sent me a letter, and do you know what he talked about?" Salazar's eyes widened, and she nodded. "Every letter, it was the adventures the two of you had been on. Even without meeting you, it was obvious how much he cared." She sighed. "You have shared experiences that I can barely imagine. In a way, you know him better than I do. I was afraid that he would decide that he did not need me any more." She gave a bitter smile. "You must think me completely ridiculous."

"Not so ridiculous," he said quietly.

Rowena glanced up. He was staring at her as if seeing her for the first time. "Of course it is. How could I think that?"

"Probably the same way I did."

"What?"

He gave her a tired smile. "I may have spent the past few years travelling with him, but you knew him for years before that. You played together, you grew up together, you have a history with him that I do not. And if he wrote about me, do you have any idea how much he spoke about you?"

Rowena stared at him. "He talked about me?"

A trace of a smile flickered across Salazar's face. "All the time. How intelligent you were, how beautiful you were, how much he missed you..."

Rowena felt a lump come to her throat. He had said that he had missed her, but she had always wondered if it was true. She should have known that Godric would never give up on his friends.

"I think we have been rather stupid."

Salazar grimaced. "I think you may be right." He shot her a wary glance. "So what can we do about it?"

Rowena swallowed. "Maybe we could try again? Neither of us really had the best attitude to begin with."

He nodded. "I do not like being patronised," he said bluntly.

Rowena glanced down. "I am sorry for that," she said. "Rest assured, your display with the antidote has inspired me to be more open-minded."

"Thank you." He looked away. "And I am sorry for mocking you. Some of the things I said were uncalled for."

"Both of us are certainly at fault there," she pointed out. "But I am willing to try if you are."

Salazar held her gaze for a long moment before nodding. "Very well." He gave a small smirk. "Besides, Godric is not going to stop until we do anyway."

Rowena laughed. "Of course not." She glanced at him. "I think there is a great deal we could learn from each other."

Salazar raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Very. You appear to have a number of hidden talents."

Salazar paused. "Oh." The wariness was immediately back in his eyes, and Rowena was quick to shake her head.

"I think it is fascinating. Was it a hereditary talent?"

Salazar stared at her. "Yes, from my father." He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

"What is it?"

Salazar shook his head. "I do not understand. You do not consider it a mark of a Dark wizard?"

Rowena frowned at him. "Why would I? You did not learn it; it is part of you. It is an incredible gift." Her own could be rather more disturbing after all.

"Thank you," Salazar murmured. The wariness had gone. Instead was something else. Not liking. But maybe respect.

Rowena took a deep breath. This would not be easy. They both had preconceptions, and the words they had spoken would not be soon forgotten, but they could try. Who knew what might happen?

* * *

Godric opened his eyes.

"Good, you're awake."

Wincing, Godric turned to see Salazar sitting by the bed. "Apparently so." He coughed and cleared his throat. "What happened?"

Salazar helped him sit up and handed him a glass of water. "How much do you remember?"

Godric thought back. He remembered leaving, and then sitting down, and then... "Oh."

"Oh, indeed. Do you even have eyes?"

"I did not do it on purpose."

"Good. I was starting to wonder."

Godric rolled his eyes, but at that moment the door opened and Rowena entered. "Godric!"

Godric smiled at her. "It is good to see you too."

She fell back and put her arms on her hips. "What were you thinking? You know there are snakes around there."

"I forgot," he admitted.

"Of course you did." She turned to Salazar. "The healer promised to return tomorrow, but it does look like he is in the clear. He was very impressed with your work."

Salazar smiled. "I am just glad it worked. I will reproduce it later so that he can distribute it."

"That would be appreciated."

Something was very wrong. Godric surreptitiously pinched himself.

No, he was definitely awake.

"Godric, what are you doing?"

Godric looked up. They were looking at him with identical expressions of concern. "Am I still dreaming?"

Rowena frowned. "Why would you still be dreaming?"

"Because I have been awake more than two minutes, and you haven't started fighting."

Salazar raised an eyebrow. "I do not know what you are talking about. Do you, Rowena?"

"No idea," she said sweetly. "Are you sure that venom did not affect his mental capacities?"

"I hope not, he cannot afford to lose any more."

Godric glared at them. "I think I preferred it when you hated each other."

"Well, we could always go back to that."

"Don't you even think about it."

Rowena laughed. "Honestly, I do not know why you are complaining."

Godric slumped back. "So all it took for you two to become friends was me to nearly get killed?"

They exchanged a look, then Salazar shrugged.

"Sounds about right."

Godric rolled his eyes. "Next time, why don't we find an alternative?"

"Next time?" Rowena remarked. "How many more people are you planning on rescuing?"

Salazar shrugged. "You never know." He shook his head and cast a sly sideways glance at Godric. "Now all we have to do is teach Godric some basic animal safety."

"Or to pay attention to his surroundings."

"Oh shut up."

But there was no bite to his words. Finally, things were as they should be.

* * *

**That was long, but I hope you all enjoyed it. Please let me know what you thought, and Happy Easter everyone!**


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